Precast construction block



April 3, 1934. c. M. CRAM 1,953,154

PRECAST CONSTRUCTION BLOCK Filed March 9, 1932 I/VVf/YTUH. 6271:: M 6mm.

Patented Apr. 3, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT @FFME 12 Claims.

This invention relates to a novel pre-cast construction block particularly useful in the construction of retaining walls, sea walls, bull: heads,

bearing walls, groins, bank protection and river and canal linings. These blocks may be used for the new construction, or as additions to prepared sub-foundations or existing walls.

An object of my invention is to provide a novel pre-cast construction block which when formed into a wall enables the wall to shift or settle with- 10 out cracks in the blocks and without failure of the wall, because of the settlement or failure of the foundation.

Another object is to provide a block of the character stated which has great strength when assembled in the wall, by reason of the novel method of securing the blocks together.

A further object is to provide a block which is subject to increment construction, that is, the

wall may be increased in height from time to time 20 as necessary, this is particularly true in groin construction.

A feature of my invention resides in the fact that a Wall damaged by storms or the like may be quickly and economically repaired by the replace- 25 ment of such blocks in the constructions which have been damaged. v

Another feature is the permanency of a structure composed of my blocks by reason of the fact that the re-inforcing is well protected in each block. Cracks can not occur in the block so as to expose the re-inforcing metal, and in fact, metal parts of the wall are adequately and completely protected against exposure to the elements.

' Other objects, advantages, and features of in- 35 vention may appear from the accompanying drawing, the subjoined detailed description and the appended claims.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of a fragment of Wall embodying my construction. I

Figure 2 is an isometric view of one type of increment block.

Figure 3 is an isometric View of another type of 5 increment block.

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken on line l1 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side eleva tion of a plurality of blocks and the connecting 5 bolts.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the blocks which are used to form the wall are preferably made in three different types, the type shown in Figure 2, the type shown in Figure 3 5 and a combination of these two types. The block 1 shown in Figure 2 may be used as a coping and also at the bottom of a wall immediately above the foundation. This block has straight upper and lower surfaces as shown at 2 and 3. Each block is provided with a vertical grooved in one end '60 thereof and a projecting tongue 5 at the other end. The tongue 5 fits into the groove 4 in the adjacent block, thereby binding the blocks together holds them against displacement.

In the horizontal joints of the wall a tongue 6 is provided on one face of the block and a groove 7 in thefother face. The side walls 8 of the tongue or the groove are tapered so that they will readily fit and will seat one in the other. A plastic material is provided in all the joints and this material is preferably of a type which will not harden but will remain flexible so that it can give without cracking. A plurality of vertical recesses 9 are provided in both sides of each block for thepurpose of receiving the coupling members, as will be further described.

A plate 10 is mounted in each of the recesses 9 at approximately the mid-height of the block and the blocks are secured together by bolts 11 which H extend through the plates 10, and a tension is placed therein by means of a nut which screws on to the end of the bolt. In each block some of the bolts extend downwardly and some upwardly, thus effectively coupling adjacent tiers of blocks together. Most of the blocks in the wall will preferably be of the type shown in Figure 3.

In the block 12 the upper and lower surfaces are not plane, that is, the end surfaces 13, 1e are in the same horizontal plane. A section 15 is below the horizontal plane of the surfaces 13, 14 and this section is connected to the surfaces 13, 14 by upwardly inclined surfaces 16, 17. It will thus be seen that the central portion of each of the blocks is depressed and the blocks are so arranged that a vertical joint will occur at the depressed portion thus interlocking the blocks and effectively preventing endwise movement. The blocks 12 are provided with a plurality of vertical recesses 18 in both the front and rear faces thereof, the same as described for blocks 1. The bottom surface of the block is similar and complementary to the top.

A tongue 19 is provided in one end and a groove 20 in the other, similar to the arrangement described for block 1. A groove 21 is provided in one of the horizontal faces and a tongue 22 in the other face for the purpose of interlocking adjacent tiers of blocks. In each of the recesses 18 a plate 23 is provided and these plates are embedded in the concrete forming the block. The

reinforcing rods 2% in the block are so arranged that they will distribute the stresses induced in the block by the plates 23. As previously described, the blocks are tightly held together by vertically extending bolts which extend from one block to another and may extend either upwardly or downwardly.

After the wall is completed the recesses 9 and 18 are all filled with a cement grout, thus covering the bolts to protect them from the elements. Any movement in the wall will merely increase the tension in the bolts 11 and these are made amply strong to withstand a high stress. The recesses are trapezoidal in section so that they will retain the grout.

When changing from the type of block shown in Figure 2 to the type shown in Figure 3, a combination of these two blocks is used with one plane face and the other composed of horizontally depressed surfaces as in Figure 3. The positioning of the bolts 11 in recesses and their mounting in the plates prevents a shearing stress on the bolts at the joints, if there is any shifting in the blocks. It will be evident from the foregoing description that a wall or parts of a wall composed of my blocks will remain intact even though the base on which the wall is carried may settle or partially fail. The arrangement of joints are designed to withstand both vertical and horizontal stresses and the wall will remain intact and unbroken. The method of bolting permits flexibility in the wall assembly without subjecting the bolts to shearing stresses or other stresses than the tension for which they are designed. The wall may be readily added to from time to time by placing additional tiers of blocks and coupling them to the existing Wall assembly or coupling them together in the same manner as previously described.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a non-monolithic wall including pre-cast construction blocks comprising interlocking means on the side of each block whereby adjacent and superimposed blocks are fitted together, a plurality of vertically extending anchor means on each of the blocks, said anchor means extending between and secured to adjacent blocks whereby the blocks are bound and held closely together.

2. In a non-monolithic wall including pre-cast construction blocks comprising interlocking means on the sides of each block whereby the blocks are inter-connected when formed into a wall, a plurality of vertically extending anchor bolts, and means on said blocks engageable by the anchor bolts whereby adjacent blocks in the wall are bound and held closely together.

3. In a non-monolithic wall including pro-cast construction blocks comprising interlocking means on the side of each block whereby the blocks are inter-connected when formed into a wall, a plurality of vertically extending anchor bolts, and means on said blocks engageable by the anchor bolts whereby adjacent blocks in the wall are bound together, said blocks having a plurality of vertical recesses formed in the front and rear faces thereof, said anchor bolts being positioned in said recesses.

4. In a non-monolithic wall including precast construction blocks, each block comprising a rectangular body, said body having a plurality of vertical recesses formed in the front and rear vertical faces thereof, a plate secured in each of said recesses, and anchor bolts extending thru each of the plates to an adjacent block whereby the blocks are bound together to form a wall.

5. A pro-cast construction block comprising a rectangular body, said body having a plurality of vertical recesses formed in both front and rear sides thereof, a plate fixedly secured in each of said recesses, said plate being adapted to hold an interconnecting tie, and reinforcing rods within the block, said rods dissipating, within the block, the stresses transferred to the plates.

6. In a non-monolithic Wall including pre-cast construction blocks, each of the blocks comprising a rectangular body, said body having a groove at one end thereof and a tongue at the other end thereof, and said body having a second groove in the bottom thereof and a second tongue at the top thereof, and said body having a plurality of vertical recesses in the front and rear faces thereof, a plate fixedly mounted in each of said recesses, and a bolt adapted to extend thru each of the plates and to an adjacent block whereby the blocks are held together, to form the wall.

7. In a non-monolithic wall including pre-cast construction blocks, each of the blocks comprising a rectangular body, said body having a groove at one end thereof, and a tongue at the other end thereof, and said body having a second groove in the bottom thereof, and a second tongue at the top thereof, and said body having a plurality of vertical recesses in the front and rear faces thereof, a plate fixedly mounted in each of said recesses, and a bolt extending thru each of the plates and to a plate in an adjacent block whereby the blocks are held together, reinforcing rods within the block, said rods dissipating, within the block, the stresses transferred to the plate.

8. In a non-monolithic wall including pre-cast construction blocks, a horizontal face of each block being formed with a central depression, upwardly inclined surfaces extending from the depression, a plurality of vertically extending anchor bolts, means on each of the blocks engageable by the anchor bolts whereby adjacent blocks are held together.

9. In a non-monolithic wall including pre-cast construction blocks, a horizontal face of each block being formed with a central depression, upwardly inclined surfaces extending from the depression, a plurality of anchor bolts, each of said blocks having a plurality of vertical recesses in the front and rear faces thereof, a plate fixedly mounted in each of said recesses, said anchor bolts extending thru the plates whereby adjacent blocks are held together.

10. In a non-monolithic wall including precast construction blocks, horizontal top and bottom faces of each of one tier of blocks being formed with a central contraction of vertical dimension, inclined surfaces extending from the central contracted portion of the blocks to horizontal faces therein, the horizontal top'and bottom faces of juxtapositioned blocks being formed with a central extension of vertical dimension, whereby the blocks are fitted together, a plurality of anchor bolts, means on each of the blocks engageable by the anchor bolts whereby adjacent blocks are held together.

11. In a non-monolithic wall including precast construction blocks, the horizontal top and bottom faces of one tier of blocks being formed with central sections depressed toward the center of the block, inclined surfaces extending from said central depressed section to connect with parallel horizontal top and bottom faces at both ends of the block, the horizontal top and bottom faces of juxtapositioned blocks being formed with a central extension of vertical dimension, whereby the blocks are fitted together, a plurality of anchor bolts, said block having a plurality of vertical recesses, said anchor bolts extending thru the plates whereby adjacent blocks are held together.

12. In a non-monolithic wall including precast construction blocks comprising interlocking means on the ends of each of the blocks whereby the blocks are inter-connected when formed into 

